The Heresy of Rain

 

          The Scarlet Ibis is a short story written by James Hurst, an American Novelist born in North Carolina, and it is also where the short story takes place. It is set in the early 1900s during World War I, which, symbolically, has an impact on the lives of the characters involved. World War I, however, is not the only significant symbol in Hurst's short story. It is one among many others that add to the beauty of the work and foreshadow its highlights, making it Hurst's most popular work to be published and winning it the "Atlantic First" award. Hurst uses foreshadowing and symbolism to aid interpretation.

           Foreshadowing is a major element in The Scarlet Ibis, and it is a style that further embellishes the short story. Hurst's foreshadowing technique shows when he says, “The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted [through] our house, speaking softly the names of our dead." (Hurst, 1). This sentence foreshadows the small brother's, Doodle, death. Doodle's real name, William Armstrong, in itself is a foreshadowing of his own death, for Hurst comments that it is a name that is only fitting for a tombstone.

         As the narrator, addressed as 'Brother', and his little brother get along with time, Doodle asks his older brother to not leave him, which parallels with Doodle's last words at the end of the story: "Don't leave me!" (Hurst, 6); Doodle's older brother leaves him, however, in the storm. Moreover, Aunt Nicey's belief about red birds being a source of bad luck, too, goes under the list of Hurst's foreshadowing style. The setting, as well, plays part in preparing readers for Doodle's death: "When we reached Horsehead Landing, lightning was playing across half the sky and thunder roared out, hiding even the sound of the sea. The sun disappeared and darkness descended." (Hurst, 6). Finally, the death of the scarlet ibis, a beautiful, rare bird, just like Doodle, is the most prominent tool used in the short story to foreshadow the younger boy's death.

        In addition, symbolism takes huge part in contribution to Hurst's style. He uses lots of different symbols in reference to his two major characters; for example, the mahogany coffin. This coffin was made when Doodle was first born, and his family have had low expectations of his survival. It symbolizes Doodle’s death when his brother forces him to touch it. Furthermore, beautiful Old Woman Swamp is a symbol of the paradise ready for the two brothers; there, they spend their happiest days. Before he dies, Doodle bleeds from his mouth, which is symbolic of the measures Doodle has taken to pour his heart out for his brother and please him. Just like it foreshadows Doodle's death, the rare scarlet ibis symbolizes Doodle himself. It represents him in how rare and wonderful he is, and they both die the same day. When Doodle dies, his neck gets smothered in blood, and his thin legs become timidly jointed, linking him to the ibis.

         "I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain." (Hurst, 6) The Scarlet Ibis is rich in symbolic elements and foreshadowing, marking it as Hurst's most outstanding work. The constant use of different pictures, images, and events to highlight the climax of the story, Doodle's death, adds to the ending painted in sorrow.